Oct 26 (TM) Former Presidential Secretariat Social Media Head Shermila Rajapaksha has been appointed as the National Zoological Gardens Dept Director General (DG) and is scheduled to assume duties on Thursday (28). Last week, The Morning reported that this appointment was imminent. Rajapaksha had served in the role of Head of Social Media at the Presidential Secretariat before submitting her resignation in June 2020. She will fill the vacancy left by the much-talked-about more..

Oct 27 (DM) The Jaffna People�s Forum for Coexistence strongly condemns the casteist violence unleashed on the oppressed community in Arasady, Vaddukoddai in Jaffna on Sept 19, 2021 by a group of dominant-caste youth and men. Many members of this community were injured during this violence. One person�s finger was slashed off. Houses, properties, work equipment and workshops belonging to the members of this community were vandalized. Caste-based violence has more..

Oct 27 (DM) Ragging in Sri Lankan universities has overshadowed many bright futures and even cut short young lives full of potential. Deaths have been reported as a consequence of ragging since 1974. It is also a criminal act according to the Prohibition of Ragging and other forms of violence in Educational Institutes Act No 20 of 1998. Yet, this manic form of violence continues unabated in Sri Lankan universities, despite the appalling stories which unfold from time to time. more..

Oct 27 (DM) A recent speech made by Prez Rajapaksa and a comment made later by Minister G.L Peiris has put the Tamil Diaspora back in the spotlight. The President had said that he is prepared to engage with the Diaspora on the reconciliation issue while the Foreign Minister said that the govt will not engage with any banned group. Daily Mirror spoke to Suren Surendiran, the spokesperson of the Global Tamil Forum, more..

Oct 27 (DM) When the Sri Lankan team left for the T20 World Cup series in Dubai earlier this month, the team left without much fanfare or high expectations from the normally cricket-mad public of the country. The public had to an extent lost all hope that the team could rise to the occasion of a major tournament like the T20 World Cup. Adding to the loss of moral, was the fact team members had been forced to accept demeaning conditions and contracts from the local cricketing authorities. more..

Oct 27 (GV) Sri Lanka is reputed for having the highest human development indicators in South Asia as early as the 1970s through notable social spending relative to its per capita income. The end of a costly thirty-year civil conflict in 2009 offered the promise of SL�s rebirth by reaping a peace dividend, leveraging a strategic location in the Indian Ocean, deploying an educated workforce and learning lessons from 21st century development strategies. Although SL had achieved lower middle more..

Oct 27 (CT) This is definitely a wow, situation! During this tumultuous and chaotic time, of a fearful and deadly pandemic, strikes in the agriculture, education and health sectors, the increasing weight of the cost of living, of which the swelling in gas and fuel prices are only a segment in the fight for survival, this tiny isle nestling in the vast Indian Ocean has seen the birth of Sextuplets for the first time in its history. more..

Oct 27 (TM) In a new development, govt coalition partner, the NFF, led by Minister Wimal Weerawansa, has suggested to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms that the number of MPs sent to Parliament as National List MPs should be reduced to 5% of the total number of MPs, with the aim of protecting the people�s sovereignty in Parliamentary Elections. At present, SL�s Parliament consists of 29 National List MPs, who are appointed by the political parties more..

Oct 27 (CT) Much like Ray Wijewardene�s invention of a two wheel hand tractor in 1955, soon mass produced by Landmaster Company, UK, according to Wijewardene�s biography, in 2013, when current SLPP Govt MP emeritus Professor Tissa Vitarana was the Senior Minister of Scientific Affairs, SL Institute of Nano Technology (SLINTEC), a private-public partnership, sold the slow release of Urea Fertiliser technology to Nagarjuna Corporation Ltd., India, info on SLINTEC�s website showed. more..

Oct 27 (TM) Govt will proceed with its objectives despite resistance from the Opposition, stated Minister Johnston Fernando on Monday. Speaking at the inauguration of construction on the first section of the Port Access Elevated Highway on Monday, he stated: �Ours is a very cool Prez and a Govt. Despite allegations and accusations, we continue to work. Dogs may bark but the caravan moves on, and in the same way, the Govt will move forward despite obstacles created by the Opposition.� more..

Oct 27 (Island) The ecological axiom that: Energy flow through a system tends to organise and simplify that system, is abundantly clear in agriculture. As farms moved from small interdependent units, bounded by fences and hedgerows, to large cropping fields to accommodate machine management, we lose the biodiversity that once existed on that landscape and the biomass that provided the Ecosystem Services. This sacrifice was rationalised through the invocation of more..

Oct 27 (ST) Sri Lanka lost an exceptional sportsman, dynamic cricketing brain and genuine all-round nice person with Bandula Warnapura passing away this week. I lost a lifelong friend. Ever since we were toddlers, living across the street from each other in Wellawatte, Bandula and I formed a strong bond that would stand the test of time through the years. We were similar in many ways; we both came from large families, more..

Oct 27 (Island) The govt is behaving as if it had no problems to contend with. It is now talking about a proposal for the construction of a Formula One racing track, of all things, in Hambantota, of all places, while the country is struggling to replenish its oil supplies. What has been proposed is a purpose-built circuit. The Cabinet will take up the proposed Formula One project for discussion soon, we are told. Don�t our ministerial worthies have any other important matters to concentrate on? more..

Oct 27 (CT) Syria humiliated SL 5-0 in their opening match of Group �A� at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup 2022 qualifiers on Monday. Syria, who have not missed a single edition of the AFC U23 Asian Cup, hit the ground running and unlocked SL�s defence within the first 15 seconds of the match when Mohammad Malta slotted home Ali Bashmani�s pass from close range. The provider turned goal scorer in the 25th minute to make it 2-0, with captain Mohammad Alhallak sending in a cross into the area more..

Oct 27 (Island) Ironically my first association with Shan was not as a teammate but as an opponent in 1983. Called in by Kandy Sports Club at the end of the school season to take on newly crowned A Division Champions CH in the knockout tournament at Nittawela, whereas a naive schoolboy I was told my task was partly to take care of Shan Perera head on, in order to not provide him any space, not realizing there weren�t many more..

Oct 27 (CT) Red Bull Campus Cricket has had a massive impact on the local cricketing scene, providing young men a pathway to showcase their talents on a global stage. Red Bull is now ready to enrich the women�s sport too, with the inaugural Red Bull Campus Cricket Women�s Championship later this month. Red Bull athlete and SL Women�s cricket team captain Chamari Athapaththu has been a vocal advocate for the growth of women�s sport in the island. Her movement #BigGirlsCan more..

Oct 27 (Island) With senior police officer Kamal Pushpakumara overcoming a legal battle that challenged his eligibility to head SL Hockey Federation, the glory days of Hockey are set to return as he is free to contest the upcoming AGM for the post of President. Pushpakumara, a multi-talented sportsman, has got plenty in his plate as a senior police officer, but that doesn�t prevent him from dedicating time for the sport he loves as he is confident of turning things around for a sport more..

Oct 27 (DM) The govt has decided to re-test a fresh sample of earlier rejected organic fertiliser from China�s Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co. through a mutually agreed third-party with an accredited laboratory following a request from the Chinese Embassy in Colombo. State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa on Monday along with key ministry officials held a meeting with the top officials of the Chinese Embassy in Colombo to brief the Chinese govt on the matter. more..

Oct 27 (Island) A comprehensive promotional plan has been put in place by the Hambantota Int'l Port Group (HIPG) to position the Port and its industrial zone as a haven of opportunity for setting up light industries. Many potential investors have been reached and discussions are ongoing for direct investment into the zone. HIPG�s expert Port Investment team has been stationed in China for about a year, to inform and educate potential investors about new opportunities in SL. more..

Oct 27 (TM) Less than a week after Fitch Ratings stated that the Central Bank of SL's (CBSL) much touted Six-Month Road Map lacks precision about the sources and timelines for the inflows it has targeted, the CBSL has issued a statement specifying several sources of inflows and related timelines. The statement announced that the CBSL and the Govt are in the process of securing over $1b inflows before the end of the yr, more..

Oct 27 (TM) The‌ ‌Central‌ ‌Bank‌ ‌of‌ ‌SL ‌(CBSL),‌ ‌issuing‌ ‌a‌ ‌statement‌ ‌yesterday‌ ‌(26),‌ ‌requested‌ ‌the‌ ‌general‌ ‌public‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌beware‌ ‌of‌ ‌financial‌ ‌scams‌ ‌and‌ ‌advised‌ ‌all‌ ‌persons‌ ‌not‌ ‌to‌ ‌share‌ ‌their‌ ‌confidential‌ ‌information,‌ ‌especially‌ ‌account‌ ‌usernames,‌ ‌passwords,‌ ‌personal‌ ‌identification‌ ‌ numbers‌ ‌(PINs),‌ ‌one-time‌ ‌passcodes‌ ‌(OTPs),‌ ‌or‌ ‌other‌ ‌information‌ ‌required‌ ‌for‌ ‌account‌ ‌ verification,‌ ‌with‌ ‌anyone.‌ ‌ ‌Further,‌ ‌the‌ ‌CBSL‌ ‌requested‌ ‌the‌ ‌public‌ ‌to‌ ‌obtain‌ ‌real-time‌ ‌notification‌ ‌services‌ ‌ such‌ ‌as‌ ‌ more..

Oct 27 (Island) Police headquarters yesterday said that an investigation was underway into an incident involving Senior DIG Ranmal Kodituwakku. Police initiated an inquiry after a video of Kodituwakku, the senior officer in charge of the Sabaragamuwa Range, dragging an unidentified driver towards a police jeep and hitting him on the head went viral on social media. The incident happened on the Kiriella-Ratnapura road. Senior DIG Kodituwakku said it was not a serious incident. The top police office more..

Oct 27 (CT) Colombo Commercial Fertilisers Ltd. entered into a MoU with Polish venture capital firm Regina Purpurea Fundus yesterday, to establish preliminary parameters to form a joint venture for an organic fertiliser manufacturing operation in SL. This agreement sets in motion key strategic actions in the agriculture development policy of the country�s National Policy Framework, which calls for the sector�s steady transition more..

Oct 27 (Island) Chairperson of the Women�s Caucus in Parliament and State Minister Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle says rural women need an inclusive approach to recover from COVID-19 negative impact. Making a statement on behalf of the Parliament Women�s Caucus to mark the international day for women, Minister said: �A day dedicated to rural women falls in October. It is appropriate to consider how best to adopt an inclusive approach to engage rural women more..

Oct 27 (DM) Govt is pondering certain actions to be taken against unvaccinated people in the future, to ensure the safety of those who have been administered jabs. Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that certain European countries had already introduced coercive measures against unvaccinated people like restricting entry to public places. �Everyone has the right to take decisions on his or her own life. However, we cannot let anyone put someone in danger by not taking the vaccine� more..

Oct 27 (EN) Sri Lanka, which banned chemical fertilizer in April, has decided to allow import of some non-organic chemicals including weedicides and pesticides, a cabinet spokesman said, as protests grew and warnings intensified of crop failures including in exports. Prez Rajapaksa�s sudden decision to ban imports of chemicals including fertilizers, pesticides, and weedicides has met strong protests in rural areas more..

Oct 27 (FT) Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Land Forces, General of the Army Oleg Salyukov of the Russian Ministry of Defence, on Monday (25) morning, formally extended a warm reception to his SL counterpart Commander of the Army/Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva, who is now in Moscow on the invitation of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Land Forces. Considered to be one of the highest honours presented in recent times, the formal and elegant Guard of more..

Oct 27 (FT) Govt has lost Rs. 27 billion in excise revenue this year due to the current COVID situation, Commissioner General of Excise M.J. Gunasiri has informed the COPA. He said that although the projected revenue of the Excise Department this year was Rs. 160 billion, it was difficult to achieve it in the current situation. He made these remarks at the COPA meeting held to inquire into the AG�s Report for 2019 and the current performance of the Excise Department. more..

Oct 27 (NR) A Presidential Task Force for One Country, One Law, has been appointed by Prez Rajapaksa. The Task Force will be Chaired by Ven. Galagodaththe Gnanasara thera. The Gazette Notification in this regard was issued yesterday. The President said the administration of justice, its implementation and protection under the law should be fair by all as set out in the Constitution, and no citizen should be more..

Oct 27 (CT) Director General of the Agriculture Department, Dr. Ajantha de Silva, said it was the first bulk organic fertiliser order from China that was contaminated and not the entire order from China and they have not rejected the Chinese company outright. Dr. de Silva said there are around four consignments of Chinese Qingdao Seawin organic fertiliser and it was the first consignment of fertiliser samples that were highly contaminated, hence that particular consignment was rejected. more..

Oct 27 (FT) Govt has decided to relocate the container goods inspection activities currently done in Colombo to Kerawalapitiya to ease congestion as well as improve efficiency and capacity. An area of 19 acres and 9.26 perches belonging to the Land Development Corporation near the Kerawalapitiya Interchange has been identified as the most suitable for the relocation. The selection was after a feasibility study done under the ADB exploring alternative sites in Bloemendal, Peliyagoda more..

Oct 27 (TM) Following requests from China, the Govt has agreed to send the organic fertiliser samples from the China-based Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co. Ltd., which have been found to contain harmful bacteria on two previous occasions, to a third party and to retest their quality. State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa said that China had refused to accept the results of the tests conducted so far. �They (China) said that more..

Oct 27 (CT) Govt will not go back on its decision to reject the cargo of bulk organic fertiliser, which is currently on the vessel sent by Quingdao Seawin Biotech Group Company Ltd. Minister Ramesh Pathirana said even though the ship is in Colombo�s outer harbour, it has not been granted permission to anchor and will never be allowed to anchor in SL waters. He noted that Chairman of SLPA, Nihal Keppetipola, has already been asked to take all efforts to prevent the vessel from entering SL. more..

Oct 27 (FT) Acknowledging the hardships people are faced with the skyrocketing food prices in the country, the Govt yesterday said the country was �fortunate� enough to withstand the global food crisis amidst the COVID pandemic. �The food crisis is a global scenario, and we should consider ourselves lucky to have managed the situation at least in this manner,� Cabinet Co-Spokesman and Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana said yesterday at the post-Cabinet meeting media briefing. more..

Oct 27 (TM) National Catholic Centre for Social Communications Director Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando and several others who attended a recent online forum, in which allegations related to the Easter Sunday terror attacks on 21 April 2019 were made against State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay, are likely to be summoned by the law enforcement agencies to record a statement regarding said allegation. more..

Oct 27 (FT) I thought that it was fitting to write a tribute to a gentleman and cricketer whom I have known for nearly 40 years, and one whose character and principles I have admired ever since I came to know him. He was a much maligned person, quite unfairly in my view and in fairness to Bandula, I thought I would set out some of the facets of his off the field cricketing life which are perhaps not known to many. His performances as an outstanding cricketer are well known and I will therefore more..

Oct 27 (FT) It was 50 years ago, on 2 Oct 1971, that the Governor-General, William Gopallawa, assented to the Bill that sought to abolish the Senate, the upper chamber of the Parliament of Ceylon. It was an event that was precipitated by the Senators themselves. The Senate was one of the five constitutional safeguards that were included in the 1946 Constitution in order to remove the fear of domination and oppression by a permanent and unassailable majority which existed more..